Recording - January 2017 - 49

computer. It is with this realism that
Scoring Mallets makes you want to
explore all of the textures and colors the
mallet instruments are capable of. I think
libraries like this can improve our musicianship, and in my opinion, this is the
highest compliment I can give.
While playing chord progressions (holding down the sustain pedal) in each
Performance mode, you are able to shape
the dynamics of the roll seamlessly one of
two ways: simply by changing velocity with
each chord, which will be averaged and
interpolated for you to create a smooth transition, or manually by replaying the outer
two notes of any chord, which will create a
crescendo or diminuendo relative to the current velocity. This simple feature led to quite
a long time of joyfully playing through progressions, and with a little practice I was
very happy with the range of expression I
was able to achieve.
The Pattern mode works much like you
would expect, with the added twist of each
cell in the step sequencer being able to
play up to 4 notes from the held chord at
once (setting the value to 0 means the cell
will just play the next note in the sequence).
Generating very complex ostinato patterns
takes only a few seconds, and the Scoring
Mallets engine ensures that samples are
switched so that patterns feel organic and
alive (two mallets in each hand alternate

naturally and automatically). Again, this is
like having a real player at your disposal.
Sense of space
The Mixer tab of Scoring Mallets allows
you to customize the mix from five different mic positions: Tight, Loose, Stage (conductor's perspective), and Wides (outriggers, also switchable to surround). You
can very quickly create anything from a
pop-oriented, tight and focused sound, to
a spacious and lifelike orchestral mix.
Fitting Scoring Mallets into your mix using
the controls on the Mixer tab is fast and
easy. However, you can take this concept
much further in the Stage tab.
Within this tab, HandHeldSound provides what it calls the Acoustic Positioner.
Special mix placements and techniques
were used when creating this library to
enable this completely unique time-based
algorithmic approach, which has the
added benefit of zero CPU overhead.
The stage in the Acoustic Positioner represents the actual recording space. You
can change Left to Right, Front to Back,
and Width parameters, along with a few
helper options around position, as well
as mic topology which will help you
place Scoring Mallets into your mix
(including a Width Sync option specifically included to make using external
reverbs easier).

With features like this, words tend to
fail and you just have to hear it. I can
happily report that I really appreciate the
approach and the attention to detail, as
I'm usually working to place mallets in
the context of an orchestra, complex
synth layers, or both. While a feature
like this could easily be perceived as
marketing fluff, it's anything but.
General impressions
Scoring Mallets' unique approach,
level of detail, and sound quality bring it
to the top of the heap of mallet instrument libraries. This will be a welcome
addition to any composer's toolset, with
a minimal but totally worthwhile learning
curve. While I find some great-sounding
libraries are hard to mix into an actual
production, Scoring Mallets presented no
problem at all. I tend to value expression
and playability above almost anything
else, and Scoring Mallets really delivers
on these fronts. The next time I reach for
a mallet instrument, I'll know exactly
where to look.
Jon Hillman (hillman@recordingmag
.com) is a game audio composer and
sound designer living and working in
northern Colorado. Learn more at
jonhillman.com.

http://www.jonhillman.com

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